Chapter 355: Tang Xiuxiu’s Worries

Chapter 355 What’s Eating Tang Xiuxiu

So Shen Qiuyu arranged a health checkup for her parents’ family, making sure to remind her mom to bring Shen Qiang along.

Mom Shen was pretty dependable.

She didn’t quite get why her daughter insisted, but a checkup couldn’t hurt.

So she got everyone together when they had time and went to the hospital.

Ye Changan had already pulled strings with a friend to make sure Shen Qiang got extra attention.

Shen Qiuyu figured she’d done enough—she even paid for the checkup. If they found anything wrong, it was up to the kid’s real parents from there.

After the exam, Shen Qiuyu called home to ask how things went.

Mom Shen let out a sigh. “Your dad and I are fine, but the doctor said Xiao Qiang has something like ADHD. Sounds like a lot of kids have it—can’t be too serious, right?”

Shen Qiuyu hadn’t looked into it much before, but since Xiaoxiao had been so serious about it, she remembered some bits.

“But it might mess with his schoolwork.”

“Oh hell no, we can’t have that.” In Mom Shen’s mind, school came first.

“Mom, just go with what the doctor says. See what kind of treatment they suggest, and make sure you explain it clearly to my sister-in-law. Don’t let her cheap out on the kid’s health,” Shen Qiuyu emphasized again.

“Alright, I’ve got this. We’ll straighten Xiao Qiang out for sure.”

The Shens were pretty well-off—her parents weren’t about to skimp on something like this.

Hearing that, Shen Qiuyu felt relieved.

If they missed the chance to treat it after catching it early, it’d be a slap in the face to Xiaoxiao’s heads-up.

When Shen Qiang grew up, he might even blame the whole family.

...

Back in the capital, Ye Xiaoxiao stopped by Rende Pharmacy first, handing out little souvenirs to her friends.

She didn’t think she’d be in any danger, so she told Duan Hong to do her own thing—she’d be having dinner at her master’s place that evening.

Song Guangjing asked, “Why not stay a few more days?”

“I wanted to get back to work. Can’t laze around forever,” Ye Xiaoxiao replied.

Song Guangjing could tell she was fibbing. It wasn’t like Rende was super busy—though Xiao Xiao had a line out the door, the other doctors could handle things.

“Coming back’s fine too. Even if your second brother’s in Shen City, home’s where the couch fits just right.”

Song Guangjing was always stuffing Xiao Xiao with food, worried she wouldn’t eat well outside.

Ye Xiaoxiao tweezered the bones out of a fish slice. “Me and Sister Hong stayed in a swanky suite—with a killer view of all the skyscrapers in Shen City.”

Shen City was a factory-town heavyweight up north, the place to be back then.

But give it ten years or so, and it’d get left in the dust once industries moved and coastal cities took off.

Still, no doubt about it—Shen City was where you went to see how the other half lived.

Song Guangjing didn’t think Xiao Xiao was being extravagant—when you’re out and about, you should always take good care of yourself.

“Exactly. After all, it’s supposed to be fun, so naturally everything should be top-notch.”

Ye Xiaoxiao smiled. Her mentor was truly very open-minded.

In the following days, Ye Xiaoxiao settled into her routine.

She worked from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day.

If one of her patients had a customized treatment plan, she could focus entirely on that person for the day.

What she didn’t know was that word about her had already gotten around—many people now knew Dr. Ye at Rende Hall was skilled in medicine and came specifically seeking her help.

Today, she hurried out of work a bit earlier because she had plans with Tang Xiuxiu, who was coming over to her place.

Hospital work didn’t have fixed rest days, but there were still one or two days each week when she wasn’t on duty or scheduled for daytime shifts.

This time, Tang Xiuxiu was clearly down.

“What’s wrong… Did something happen between you and Gao Lin?”

Tang Xiuxiu sighed. “We got into a fight.”

Ye Xiaoxiao pulled a tea set from the cabinet, brewed some tea, and brought it over. The living room was carpeted thickly, and they sat on the floor chatting.

“Because he wants to go abroad?”

Tang Xiuxiu nodded. “Yeah, and he’ll be gone at least three years. We’re not getting any younger—by then I’ll already be twenty-seven. It feels like he doesn’t even think about our future.”

Ye Xiaoxiao didn’t want to judge, but it would still be a shame if they broke up just because of a long-distance relationship.

“Both our families are actually rooting for us. My parents like Gao Lin’s background, and they even held me up against Lin Yue next door, saying we might as well get married before he leaves.”

Tang Xiuxiu looked genuinely frustrated. Usually so upbeat, she just seemed drained now.

“What’s the point? If we won’t even see each other, what’s the use of getting married?”

Suddenly, Tang Xiuxiu looked up. “Xiaoxiao, how’d you and your husband manage when you were overseas?”

Ye Xiaoxiao hadn’t expected someone to come to her for advice one day.

Having been there herself, she could only say, “We were both super busy. While abroad, it was study, study, study—time flew by.

And back then, Lu Hanchuan was tied up with a mission, so he barely had time to miss me either.”

Ye Xiaoxiao might have misunderstood something.

Even out in the middle of nowhere in northwest China, Lu Hanchuan thought about Xiaoxiao every single day—what she was doing, how she was adjusting to life overseas.

“You’re right,” Tang Xiuxiu said. “These things should just play out. No use overthinking it now. If he insists on going, I should focus on building my own career.”

Once she realized this, Tang Xiuxiu didn’t seem so upset anymore.

He was the one leaving. She’d just wait and see. If it got too hard, she’d call it quits.

Seeing her cheer up, Ye Xiaoxiao grinned. “Then stay over tonight. Tomorrow we’ll grill out on the rooftop.”

Tang Xiuxiu nodded. “Sounds good! I’ve been wanting to say—your place is so roomy and cozy. I live in an apartment building, which is fine too, but you hear every neighbor’s squabble through the walls.”

"You wouldn't have that problem here, and no one would just show up at your door to start a fight over nothing."

"I see you still have some space in the backyard—great for growing flowers and plants."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Actually, if any of the neighbors are selling their houses, I’d love to buy up the whole block. Then I could connect them all and build more courtyards."

Tang Xiuxiu: "What are you planning—open a hotel or something?"

Ye Xiaoxiao laughed. "Oh nothing like that. I could just bring my grandparents over to live here."

Tang Xiuxiu: "These old lanes are mostly family homes passed down through generations. Unless someone wants to sell to buy an apartment, I’m afraid your wish won’t come true."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Guess I’ll just go with the flow then. My current courtyard is already big enough."

Once her mood improved, Tang Xiuxiu began complaining to Ye Xiaoxiao about her coworkers and boss.

While talking, she suddenly remembered something…